Chef Zahihttps://chefzahi.com
The Vegan NinjaMon, 23 Oct 2017 04:56:25 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngChef Zahihttps://chefzahi.com
Vegan Fish Patties (Tofu Based) in Spicy Moroccan Saucehttps://chefzahi.com/2017/07/06/vegan-fish-patties-tofu-based-in-spicy-moroccan-sauce/
https://chefzahi.com/2017/07/06/vegan-fish-patties-tofu-based-in-spicy-moroccan-sauce/#respondThu, 06 Jul 2017 12:43:43 +0000http://chefzahi.com/?p=2328]]>The journey to find the perfect fish replacement continues and this time, I start playing with tofu. I have already published recipes for vegan tuna salad, lentil-based fish balls, and another one for a North-African fish casserole based on cauliflower. This time, I remain in the realm of that casserole, taking the Moroccan approach (rather than Libyan) and take tofu as the base.

The patties here are airy and soft. Based on firm tofu with a bit of old bread, and wonderful seasoning. They are mellow yet stable, and bursting with flavor. They are first baked and then cooked in the sauce, absorbing a significant portion of the seasoning.

Start with blending the bread and tofu in a food processor to a fine paste. Add a bit of water if needed. Then, transfer to a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Create round and flat patties with wet hands. Place on an oven tray covered in baking paper. Bake in 200 degrees (C) for 15 minutes, until stable. While they cool, make the sauce.

The principle of the salt is similar to the tomato sauce of the Hrayme or the Shakshuka. First, press the garlic and add the spices to the oil and heat slowly on your lowest flame, until you have a slow simmer (at least 10-15 minutes). Then, slowly increase the flame to medium and add the carrot and pepper. Once they get an initial burn, add the tomatoes, sprinkle salt, mix well, increase flame and cover. The liquids coming out of the tomato will be the base of your sauce. Mix every minute or two, until the tomatoes have dissolved. Add the chili and mix.

Now, make little holes in the sauce, place the patties in them so they will slowly be covered. Add the coriander leaves at the top, reduce to a low flame, cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from the flame, serve with rice or with bread that would absorb the sauce.

]]>https://chefzahi.com/2017/07/06/vegan-fish-patties-tofu-based-in-spicy-moroccan-sauce/feed/0IMG_0073jbadraIMG_0048IMG_0059IMG_0073IMG_20150126_144732Vegan Bacon-Flavored Baked Potato Pancakeshttps://chefzahi.com/2017/01/14/vegan-bacon-flavored-baked-potato-pancakes/
https://chefzahi.com/2017/01/14/vegan-bacon-flavored-baked-potato-pancakes/#respondSat, 14 Jan 2017 11:32:11 +0000http://chefzahi.com/?p=2300]]>The one thing I like about the German language, is its accuracy. If you want to express something, there would always be a suitable word. But once you learn it, it gets confusing, since you miss this word in every other language you speak.

One of my favorite particular words in German is Deftig. It’s an adjective from the world of food, that is supposed to describe a dish that is substantial and filling in a good way. Dictionaries translate it as “a good and solid meal”, which I guess is the nearest you can get.

Winter is the official season for “Deftige Mahlzeiten” – good and solid meals. Something that would give you enough energy to go out and do your daily stuff through a snow storm, and keep you full for a long time.

No surprise – potatoes take a big role in these meals. But potatoes are not enough, you need some protein. And luckily, we live in times when we can spare our farm animals and reach similar results. Like these pancakes, which contain enough carbs, protein and fat to make you happy on a cold day, and are also tasty as hell.

Here I have to mention – smoked tofu is a problematic product. Every brand is different and you might need to experiment with different brands to get the best result. I try to pick the driest, firmest one that is also brown from the inside.

Start with grating all the vegetables through the big holes of the grater. Chop the tofu my hand to small dice, and add there as well. Add the oil, spices and flour and mix by hand. Start with 2 tablespoons of flour, and if needed add the third one. The amount depends on the liquids in the potato and onion, therefore could vary from batch to batch. The final mixture should be sticky but not dough-like nor dry.

With wet hands, make big, round patties. Place on a baking tray covered in baking paper. Bake at 220 degrees C, upper and lower hear, no vent. Once they are solid, after 15-20 minutes, carefully flip, and bake until golden, around 15 minutes more.

Make a dip from soy yogurt and spring onions, or whatever feels like the right choice of a dip for you, and think of this little pleasures winter allow us to experience.

]]>https://chefzahi.com/2017/01/14/vegan-bacon-flavored-baked-potato-pancakes/feed/020170113_211305jbadra20170113_211305Vegan Tbit: Iraqi Rice Casserole Cooked Overnighthttps://chefzahi.com/2017/01/07/vegan-tbit-iraqi-rice-casserole-cooked-overnight/
https://chefzahi.com/2017/01/07/vegan-tbit-iraqi-rice-casserole-cooked-overnight/#respondSat, 07 Jan 2017 11:17:33 +0000http://chefzahi.com/?p=2235]]>Tbit is something special. When my grandmother, later my father, and eventually me, were cooking Tbit, it was an event. Not something you cook for yourself, nor something you will do every day or even every week. It takes quite some work, it cooks for ages, and the neighbors won’t forgive you for the enchanting smell in the staircase if you won’t invite them to eat too. So every time Tbit was made, it was in a big pot and with many guests. Which made every pot a feast.

So what’s in there? Tbit is the Iraqi version of the Jewish Cholent – a casserole cooked overnight. In old times, when Jews were not to cook on Saturdays, a pot full of goodness was put in a slow burning oven in Friday afternoon, just before Shabat entered, and was slowly cooking until lunchtime the next day. That was the only way to have a warm meal without breaking the prohibition on making fire on Saturdays.

In most versions, Cholent contains meat, potatoes and different kinds of grains and legumes. Iraqi Jews were different. Iraqi cuisine is based on rice, so in this version of Cholent, it was chicken stuffed with rice and meat, seasoned with Baharat, the Iraqi spice mixture that gives this cuisine its magical touch. It is then cooked overnight in a light tomato soup. The result is mellow with deep comforting flavors. The kind of dishes you just make you want to unbotton your pants and sleep until the Shabbat is over.

In the vegan version, I used three ingredients to replace the meat in the rice – dry smoked tofu of good quality, shiitake and oyster mushroom, and sun-dried tomatoes. The mixture of the three can come quite close to meaty flavors, while each is contributing a part of it. As for the chicken – I use two solutions. One was layers of very big onions that were boiled, separated and then rolled with stuffing. The second, quite embarrassing, vegan chicken made out of seitan and moulded into a form of half a chicken. You can chose either, or replace the artificial chicken with just two layers of plain seitan.

Start with the stuffing – finely chop the onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and tofu. Saute the onions in the oil. Once slightly golden, add the mushrooms and tofu. After a minute, add the pepper and Baharat. The kitchen would then start to smell like it would in the next two days. Wash the rice, sieve it, transfer to a bowl, add the tomatoes and the contents of the pan. Season with salt and mix well.

Stuffing: Start with making the onions. Peel them, carve them with a knife lengthwise until the middle, and boil in water for 5 minutes. Then, let them cook and carefully separate the layers. In each onion “leaf”, place some stuffing and roll tight. Repeat until you finish the onions. Take the “chicken” or seitan slices, place stoffing in the middle, and tie with a string. You should have some extra stuffing left, it’s part of the process.

Start with the assembly. Take a heavy, wide pot that you can put in the oven. Oil the bottom of the pot, place the potato slices. They would prevent the rice and other ingredients from burning. Place one layer of onion rolls, throw some of the remains of stuffing around it. Place the “chickens” or seitan rolls in the middle, and the rest of the onions around them. Cover with the rest of the stuffing.

In another pot, boil the water and mix with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Then, pour it to cover the other ingredients, bring to boil on the stove and transfer, covered, to an oven heated to 100-110 degrees. Bake like that from evening until lunchtime of the day after. Check once in a while if there are enough liquids.

Invite everyone to the table, gently remove the soft parts one by one and make sure everyone gets a bit of everything – of the “chicken”, one or two onion rolls, and a spoonful or two of the free stuffing that drank all the juices all night long. Have some pickled chilies, spring onions, and chopped tomatoes topped with amba next to it, and eat.

]]>https://chefzahi.com/2017/01/07/vegan-tbit-iraqi-rice-casserole-cooked-overnight/feed/020161224_193908jbadra20161224_19390820161223_21374920161224_20530620161225_174044Smokey Grilled Carrotshttps://chefzahi.com/2016/12/07/smokey-grilled-carrots/
https://chefzahi.com/2016/12/07/smokey-grilled-carrots/#respondWed, 07 Dec 2016 18:14:44 +0000http://chefzahi.com/?p=2213]]>Supermarkets make it hard sometimes, for those of us who are single and enjoy a variety of veggies. Since some veggies you can’t just buy by weight, but rather get a whole pack. So are carrots. I admit, as they are, they are not my favorite vegetable. They are great in soups and sauces, a bit of them in a salad, but you won’t find me munching on whole carrots like a starving rabbit.

So when I need a carrot or two, I usually end up with trying to figure out what to do with the other 15 that came along. So I thought, hey, they are long and orange, a bit like a hot dog, right? So why not grilling it in a smokey dressing, just like one?

What you get here is a wonderful result, with a soft sweet inside, wrapped with a smokey, slightly crispy coating. Munch on them like that, or serve in a bun with mustard and pickles. I already saw some other recipes for carrot hot dogs, which cook the carrot before grilling. I find it useless. You lose so much of the raw flavor and crunchy texture when you do it. Try this way to get a much nicer. closer-to-the-source result.

Mix the oil and spices in a bowl. Wash the carrots well and dry them. Mix with the spiced oil and massage it well. Place in a baking tray covered with baking paper. 20 minutes, 220 degrees, top and bottom heat, until a slight smell of burn comes out. That it the right moment to enjoy them.

]]>https://chefzahi.com/2016/12/07/smokey-grilled-carrots/feed/020161021_175910jbadra20161021_174033.jpg20161021_175910.jpg20160102_205814Falafel Burgerhttps://chefzahi.com/2016/11/28/falafel-burger/
https://chefzahi.com/2016/11/28/falafel-burger/#respondMon, 28 Nov 2016 16:06:23 +0000http://chefzahi.com/?p=2186]]>The cornerstone of middle eastern food meets the holy grail of fast food to create this wonder: it is both a falafel and a hamburger in one sandwich. And it’s vegan too.

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor. Let them cool in the fridge for around half an hour. Heat some oil in a shallow pot, should reach a bit above the patty. Fry in high heat until golden brown and solid. Flip and fry for another minute.

Cut the buns, fill with goodness, eat and indulge the magic of the two worlds.

]]>https://chefzahi.com/2016/11/28/falafel-burger/feed/020161128_151624jbadra20161128_151551Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower-Wingshttps://chefzahi.com/2016/10/18/vegan-buffalo-cauliflower-wings/
https://chefzahi.com/2016/10/18/vegan-buffalo-cauliflower-wings/#respondTue, 18 Oct 2016 15:28:58 +0000http://chefzahi.com/?p=2147]]>Have a glass of beer, watch a match of football and eat something sticky and spicy that would make you want more of both… Don’t you miss it sometimes in the wonderful world of quinoa and tofu? So I went on a quest trying to find this particular feeling that sweet and spicy sauce stick to your fingers while you devour a depraved delight. Here’s what I got.

This recipe has three phases. All in the oven. First you bake the florets to soften them, then you harden the coating to make them crispy and to conclude you caramelize the spicy BBQ sauce on them.

Start with the cauliflower. Heat an oven to 200 degrees (C). Drizzle some olive oil, sprinkle some salt, wrap in baking paper and bake for 10-15 minutes, just to make the florets slightly softer.

Let them cool and make the batter. Increase the heat in the oven to 250 degrees. Dip each floret in it and cover completely. Let it penetrate into the gaps. Plane on a baking form covered in baking paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the batter is stable.

In the meanwhile, make the sauce. Once the florets are baked and the batter is stable, remove them carefully from the baking form. Place half the sauce in a bowl, the florets on top, and the rest of the sauce on top of them, cover in a plate and shake well, until all the florets are covered in it. Return to the baking form and broil for 5 minutes.

Serve with your favorite dip (Vegan mayo with habanero touch in this case) and enjoy with a cold glass of beer.

]]>https://chefzahi.com/2016/10/18/vegan-buffalo-cauliflower-wings/feed/020161013_154108jbadra20161013_15183220161013_154023IMG_20150526_171030Vegan Mushroom Studelhttps://chefzahi.com/2016/10/15/vegan-mushroom-studl/
https://chefzahi.com/2016/10/15/vegan-mushroom-studl/#respondSat, 15 Oct 2016 13:18:58 +0000http://chefzahi.com/?p=2122]]>The autumn brings to the local markets all kinds of fresh, funky mushrooms. To make the best out of them is to put them in the center, and the best, to wrap them in a crispy puff pastry blanket and brings delight to the max.

This long pastry can be sliced and served as a starter or as a main, best eaten warm right out of the oven.

Start with slicing the onions to 1 cm rings. Saute them in a heavy skillet on a medium-high flame. In the meanwhile, half the mushrooms and cut into 1 cm slices. Once the onion is transparent and starts to get golden, then add the mushrooms.

Once the mushrooms evaporated their liquids, season with pepper, dill and soy. stir and remove from the flame. Let it cool before you roll the pastry.

Spread the puff pastry. Place the mushroom mix in the middle. Fold to create a sealed roll. Place on a baking paper, the fold to the bottom, and poke some holes on the top with a fork. Brush with water and spread some sesame.

Bake at 190 C for 25-30 minutes, until puffed and golden.

]]>https://chefzahi.com/2016/10/15/vegan-mushroom-studl/feed/020161003_205948jbadra20161003_18343520161003_195900Vegan Beetroot Frittershttps://chefzahi.com/2016/08/29/vegan-beetroot-fritters/
https://chefzahi.com/2016/08/29/vegan-beetroot-fritters/#commentsMon, 29 Aug 2016 07:38:03 +0000http://chefzahi.com/?p=2095]]>So I guess it wasn’t that hard to guess by the color what it was. So shiny and pink could only mean one thing: the fritter craze is back, and this time with a wonderful sweet and purple delight – a beetroot.

The beets are first baked to be soften while reducing liquids. They are grated and mixed with oats, almonds and seasoned with horseradish and lots of pepper to give a nice tangy edge to their natural sweetness.

Start with baking the beets in tin foil until they are soft. Around one and a half hours in 200 degrees. In some countries you can buy baked beets in vacuum in supermarkets. That could be used as an alternative if you are short in time. After they are ready, let them cool, peel and grate them through the large holes of your grater.

Grate the onion as well. Mix with the rest of the ingredients and mix well. With wet hands make nice and thick patties. Place on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Bake in 220 degrees (C) until firm, about 25 minutes.

]]>https://chefzahi.com/2016/08/29/vegan-beetroot-fritters/feed/120160823_124210jbadra20160823_12020620160823_124210Vegan Aubergine Bolognese Boatshttps://chefzahi.com/2016/08/19/vegan-aubergine-bolognese-boats/
https://chefzahi.com/2016/08/19/vegan-aubergine-bolognese-boats/#respondFri, 19 Aug 2016 07:46:04 +0000http://chefzahi.com/?p=2056]]>Want to impress your guests with a beautiful dish, that even meat-eaters would enjoy? Try these filled half aubergines. They are baked to perfection and filled with a soy ragout, just like the one you can put on pasta or make lasagna from, and topped with white creamy tahini and some fresh basil leaves.

Start with grilling the aubergines. Cut them lengthwise, sprinkle some salt and rub the upper part well with olive oil. Bake in 230 degrees C until the top is golden (around 30 minutes). Remove from the oven, let them cool for a bit and empty the inner part with a spoon to have nice boats.

For the ragout, start with soaking the soy in water, sieving it and pressing all the water out. Finely chop the onion, garlic and carrot, and saute them in olive oil. Once they start to get golden, add the soy, mushrooms (also finely chopped) and spices (besides salt), and mix well. Once the pan is sizzling, add slowly the wine. Bring to boil and let it reduce for a couple of minutes, before adding the tomatoes, balsamic and salt. Mix well and keep reducing the liquids, until you have a thick, almost sticky sauce. Taste and correct levels of saltiness, sweetness and sourness. Different kinds of tomatoes have different sourness levels, sometimes a bit of sugar is needed too.

Now the easy part. Fill the aubergines with ragout. Top with tahini. Bake together in 220 degrees for 10 minutes. Top with chopped basil.

]]>https://chefzahi.com/2016/08/19/vegan-aubergine-bolognese-boats/feed/020160817_201640jbadra20160817_193148 (1)20160817_20135520160817_201640Easy Green Pea Falafelhttps://chefzahi.com/2016/08/16/easy-green-pea-falafel/
https://chefzahi.com/2016/08/16/easy-green-pea-falafel/#respondTue, 16 Aug 2016 12:02:47 +0000http://chefzahi.com/?p=2030]]>Making Falafel takes a long time. You have to soak the chickpeas overnight before you can even think about starting to make them. But sometimes, the crave is so strong, and time is too short. So a quick look to the freezer exposed a large bag of green peas, that would be suitable to replace the holy legume.

Since green peas are by nature more wet and less starchy, you have to compensate with additional ingredients to make sure they will stick properly. I preferred flat prying in a pan, but I believe that baking will work as well.

Ingredients:
500g frozen green peas
1 large onion
1 clove of garlic
1/3 cup oats
1/3 tablespoon potato starch
1/4 cup chopped greens (parsley and coriander are the classics, but feel free to get frisky, I used celery greens, and next time I’ll try mint)
salt and pepper to taste

Defrost the peas under running warm water, dry well and transfer into a bowl. With a stick blender, blend the peas to a coarse mash. Blend the oats in a spice grinder into powder. Grate the onion coarsely and mash the garlic. Mix all the ingredients together and let the mix rest for 30 minutes.

Then, start to make slightly flat balls with wet hands. They should be easy to shape. If the mix is too wet, add more oats. Fry in a non stick pan with a bit of oil until the bottom is stable and crisp. Flip and do the same. Wait for 5-10 minutes for them to stabilize before serving.

Serve in a pita or flatbread with hummus, tahini and your favorite veggies.